Picture frame



July 25, 1944. F. D. CRICHTON PICTURE FRAME Filed Jan. 20, 1943 Patented July 25, 1944 U IT .STATE PATENT oF'FlcE I rrc'ruan FRAME ascgngeatmos, a hington, n. 0. ap lication was 20, 1943, serial No. 473,004

2 Claims. (01. 40-86) This invention relates to picture frames and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is the cardinal object of the invention to provide a novel construction of frame adapted to house a plurality of pictures arranged in tandem relation upon a suitable flexible carrier and including rolls at respective ends of the frame upon which the carrier may be wound in order to present a different picture within the frame openmg.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel means for detachably securing the pictures upon the flexible carrier so that new pictures may be readily substituted as desired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel and simple mounting for the carrier take-up rolls.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the frame,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the frame,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the flexible carrier illustrating the manner of securing the pictures thereon,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a picture illustrating a fastening means for mounting the same upon the carrier,

Figure 6 is an edge view of the frame.

There is illustrated a frame I consisting of upper and lower frame portions I I and end frame portions I2, of any suitable material and in their assembled relation define a picture opening I3, here shown as rectangular, although other shaped openings may be employed as desired.

Set within the opening I3 and. extended rearwardly therefrom, a box-like housing I4 is arranged, consisting of respective end walls I and upper and lower walls I 6. The end walls I5 are narrower than the walls IS in order to accommodate a glass, a flexible carrier and backing cover, as will be described. At th inner edges of the end walls I5 and flush therewith moldin strips I1 are fixed, and similar strips are secured to the top and bottom walls I6, affording a neat v and finished frame opening, as well as affording support of a frame glass employed in the device.

The upper and lower walls I8 are of the same length as the frame portions I I, and since the end walls I5 abut the edges of the frame portions defining the opening I3, an elongated cubicle I8 is provided at respective ends of the frame (see Figure 3).

Each of the walls I8 are formed at their ends with a slot I9 extending inwardly and slightly inclined, the slots terminating in a substantially right angular slot portion 20, the slots at respective ends of the frame being aligned for reception of a pintle 2| of respective take-up rollers 22. One end of the pintles is of square formation, as at 23, so that a key 24 may be applied thereto for rotating the rollers as will be required.

Upon the inner edges of the walls I5 and projecting inwardly over respective cubicles I8 there are platens 25, the outer ends of which stop short slightly beyond the slot portion 20 and preferably the ends of the platens are slightly rounded to afford smooth movements of a carrier as will be described.

A frame glass 26 of a size to fit between respective platens is provided, and is of the same thickness, thus forming a smooth surface for passage of a picture carrier from one roller to the other.

A flexible picture carrier 21 is employed, of a length to support the required number of pictures as desired and of a width slightly greater than the width of the picture opening of the frame as illustrated in Figure 1. The ends of the carrier are secured to respective rollers 22 in any approved manner.

Attention is now invited to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing wherein it will be seen that the carrier 21 is provided at suitably spaced points with pairs of open loop straps 28, positioned medially of the carrier and extended transversely thereof. Each of the pictures 28 to be secured upon the carrier 21 has a clip 30 fixed to the back thereof. The clip is formed from a strip of light sheet material, medially offset as at 3I forming a seat for securement to a picture. Such formation provides oppositely extended arms 32 which are of a length to engage within respective loops 28. When applying a picture to the carrier, one arm of the clip is engaged within a loop and moved longitudinally so that the other arm of the clip may align with the other loop. The picture is then adjusted so that the arms are equally spaced between the loops, and of course, there is a friction fit between the loops and arms, so that the picture will be properly retained.

With the pictures properly fixed upon the carrier, respective rollers 22 are positioned in the cubicles, with the pintles 2| and 23 disposed in the slots IS. A tension spring 33 is operatively associated with the ends of the spindles, tending to draw the rollers upwardly into the extensions 20 of the slots so that the rollers with the carrier thereon is disposed immediately beneath the platens 25. After such assembly, the backing cover 34 may be fixed to the frame outwardly of the carrier and a picture thereon will be properly held before the frame opening 13. When it is desired to bring a new picture into view, the key 24 is employed for rotating the roller desired. As a roller is filled by winding the carrier thereon, the increased diameter of the roller will be accommodated by reason of the fact that the roller will tend to move downwardly through the slot l9 against the tension of the springs 33.

While I have shown and described a preferred construction, this is by way of illustration only,.

and I consider as my own all such modifications in construction as fairly fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A carrier for picture elements and the like for successive display of the picture elements before a View opening of a frame comprising a flexible elongated support member, said support member having pairs of spaced loop members upon one side thereof, a picture element complemental to each pair of loop members, each picture element having oppositely disposed arms adapted to frictionally fit within respective pairs of loops. 7

2'. A carrier for spaced detachable picture elements and the like comprising a flexible elongated support member, said support member having pairs of spaced loop members upon one side thereof, a picture element complemental to each pair of loop members, each picture element having oppositely disposed arms adapted to frictionally fit within respective pairs of loops.

FRANCIS D. CRICH'I'ON. 

